Spacing balance wheel for disk harrows and disk plows



C. OPOLO March 23,1937.

SPACING BALANCE WHEEL FOR DISK HARROWS AND DISK FLOWS Filed April 13, 1936 Patented Mar. 23, 1937 r UNlTED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE SPACING, BALANCE WHEEL FOR DISK HARROWS AND DISK PLOWS Charles Opolo, Culver City, Calif. Application April 13, 1936, Serial No. 74,138 12 Claims. (Cl. 97--220) My invention relates to balance wheels used in forming a wheel with a cylindrical tread of subconnection with disk harrows and disk plows in stantially the same length as that of the spacing order to secure a uniform depth of cut by the spool. assembly of disks. Another object andfeature of my invention In the ordinary use of disk harrows or disk relates to a scraper for use with the supporting 5 plows which are made with a dish type of disk, wheels and also to scrape the adjacent disks. In concave on one side and convex on the other, this case an arm locates the scraper in relation it is found that the end of the harrow toward to the frame, and this has a blade for scraping which the concave sides face digs deeper than the cylindrical surface of the wheel and a secthe opposite end of the assembled disks. These ondary curved blade for scraping the inside or 10 disks are usually assembled on a shaft, and thereconvex surface of a disk.

fore one end tends to cut deeper than the other My invention is illustrated in connection with although the assemblage of disks is mounted in a the accompanying drawing in which: suitable frame. It has been customary to over- Figu e l is a longitudinal s n through an .1 come this difiiculty by loading weights on the assembly of disks mounted on .a shaft and may be frame of the machine toward the end of the asconsidered as taken on section line l--| of Figsemblage of disks which has the shallow cut, and me 4 in the direction of the arrows omitting therefore force this end deeper in order to secure the scrapers. a'uniform' depth of harrowing or plowing. Figure 2 is an enlarged section of one of the An object and feature of my invention is in gh We g W this being formed hollow 20 providing wheels of different weight which may d ow o t right hand end of Figure be built into an assemblage of the disks whereby In Figure 2 the spool is separated from the shaft.

a heavy solid Wheel may be located adjacent th Figure 3 is an end elevation taken in the direcend of the shaft carrying a large number of disks. tion of the arrow 3 of Figure 2.

If this is the end which normally would have a Figure 4 is a plan of part of a disk harrow. 25 shallow out, at the'opposite end which would nor- Figure 5 is a partial elevation taken in the mally dig deep a hollow wheel is secured between direction of the arrow 5 of F gu e L W in the disks'and thus adds a lesser weight to the particular the scraper, portion of the disks being end which normally cuts deeper. All of the broken awaywheels are of the same diameter and'function to -D 4 shows p Of a frame H Which m y 30 limit the depth of cut as manifestly when the be of any suitable type such as is employed in wheels roll on the surface of the ground they disk harrows or disk plows. There is a shaft or limit the depth of cut. axle I2 on which are mounted a number of spacer A more detailed object and feature of my in spools l3 separating the disks Hi. An end washer vention is in the attachment of the wheels to the '5' forms the housing for a head 0f the axle 35 ordinary spacing spools between the disks. These and at the pp end there is & Washer I7 011 spools are usually mounted on a shaft or rod which bears e' t o clamping the assembetween adjacent disks and operate to space the b y of'spacel spools n disks- At Certain f h se disks the desired distance apart. In certain forms spools there is a b r W to which is c e of my invention I attach the wheels directly to a side bar l9a of the frame ll. 40 the spools and in this manner can use the spools y invention Comprehehds using Weighting to build up the desired size of wheel. In other Wheels designated y the assembly u e a 29. cases the wheel and the spool are made a one Where'it' is desired to have a heavy wheel this is unit which may be solid where it is desired to p y formed as a Casting indicated t apply considerable weight or having 3, consid- This casting has a GOIIVGX end 22 and an opposite 45 erable sized hollow space which may be filled concave end 23 to conform to the shape 0f jawith light material in order to give a wh l f cent-disks. There are also'offsetsides 2t and 25 a lesser weight. forming a clearance from the disks. The periph- A further detailed feature in forming the light eral-tread 26 is wide and cylindrical. This form weight wheels is in forming these in two half of cast wheel has a central core to accommodate 50 sections, each having a tread and a marginal rim the axle if being made of the same internal shape forming in effect a cup except for the opening at as the spools this being shown in the present the rim. These rims are then fitted over flanges illustration as square in cross section. on a spacing spool to bring the edges of the tread A lighter type of weighted wheel is illustrated together. A weld. is made at the joint, thereby at 30'. This is alsoformed preferably of a cast- 55 'ing but in this case there. is a deep recess 3| formed from one end leaving a central hub 32 the cylindrical tread 33 on the outside. At the end of the hub there is a flange 34 having a concave end face toconform to the shape of the adjacent disk. This leaves an annular opening '35. In order to prevent dirt from filling this space it is preferable toinitially fill this space before the assembly of the wheel with the disk harrow with light material such asground cork which may be held in place by a plastic composition indicated at 36 of Portland cement or other suitable covering. Thisconstruction therefore has the wheel formed with a relatively heavy end portion 37, the other portion being light. Manifestly. as the recesses 3| may be made of a greater or lesser depth, weights of different sizes may be produced.

A lighter type of wheel is illustrated at 40. In this case there are two cup like devices and 42 formed preferably of sheet metal placed to shape, each of which has a cylindrical wall indicated at 33 and 44 butting at a joint 45 which follows the circumference. Each of these portions has an inturned rim 46 and 41. The rim 46 is flared outwardly and the rim 4'! extends inwardly.

The spacer spool 50 has a hub section with a flange 52 at one end convex on its end surface 53 and has an annular shoulder 54 with an outwardly projecting rim 55. The inturned rim 46 fits against the shoulder 54 and the rim 55 end is secured by an annular weld 56.

At the opposite end of the spool there is a flange 51 having an annular shoulder 58 and an outwardly extending rim 59. This rim is shaped with a slope to engage the inside surface of the inturned rim 41, such rim likewise fitting against the shoulder 58 and being secured by a weld 60. A circumferential weld 6| secures the two cups together at the joint 45. In this manner a hollow wheel is assembled on one of the spacer spools. This wheel thus is much lighter in weight than the solid cast wheels or the wheels with the recess and is intended to be placed in the disk assembly adjacent the end which sinks most deeply.

In the operation of my invention it will therefore be seen that as one end of the disk assembly may be weighted with a solid or heavy wheel an intermediate section with a lighter cast wheel and the end which cuts deeper withthe light hollow wheel work is to be done in such soils the hollow wheels may be used throughout instead of having any of the wheels weighted by being formed solid or partially solid.

The machine is provided with scrapers designated by the assembly numeral 15, each of which has a long and substantial arm ll secured to one of the cross frame members 12. The arm bends downwardly towards the wheels and has a horizontal scraping edge 13 adapted to scrape the periphery of each of the wheels and on the sides there is a curved scraper 14, this scraper engaging the concave side of an adjacent disk. By this construction as the disks and the wheels will;

rotate as a unit each of the Wheels and a disk adjacent thereto are scraped of mud or soil adhering to the wheel or to the disk or both.

Various changes may be made in the details of the construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a disk harrow in which a frame forms a mounting for an axlehaving harrowing disks mounted on the axle with a spacing means for the disks combined with weighting wheels forming part of the spacing means, certain of said wheels being substantially solid to give a considerable weight to. increase the cut of the disks adjacent the solid wheel and other wheels being substantially hollow, the periphery of the wheels being operative to limit the depth of the cut of the disks.

2. In a disk harrow as described in claim 1, there being other wheels with a cylindrical periphery and having a hollow space extending from one end of the wheel, said wheels with the hollow space being lighter than the substantially solid wheels.

3. In a disk harrow in which a frame forms a mounting for an axle having harrowing disks mounted thereon, the disks being separated by spacer spools combined with certain of the spacer spools being constructed in the form of wheels cept for an opening to accommodate the shaft,

other wheels having a hollow space whereby there is a difference of weight between the solid periphery being spaced at its ends from the adjacent disks.

7. In a disk harrow having a shaft, a plurality of disks thereon separated by spacing spools, one

cave at one end and convex at the other, but spaced from the adjacent disks.

8. In a disk harrow as described in claim 7, the wheel having a hollow section with an annular opening leading thereto adjacent one end of the spool.

9. In a'disk harrow having an axle with disks mounted thereon separated by spacing spools, one of said spools having a central hub section and having flanges at opposite ends, one of the ends being concave and the other convex to fit the adjacent disks, a wheel having a cylindrical periphery and having an inturned rim at each side, each rim being secured to one of the flanges of the spool, the wheel being substantially hollow from the hub of the spool to its periphery and being operated to limit the depth of cut of the disks.

10. In a disk harrow having a shaft with a plurality of disks thereon separated by spacing spools, one of the spools having a central hub with flanges at each end, the flanges having annular shoulders with annular rims extending outwardly therefrom, a wheel formed of two cuplike structures, each having a cylindrical periphery abutting at a circumferential joint and each having an inturned rim engaging the shoulder and rim at the ends of the spool, the wheel being secured to the spool by welds adjacent the shoulders and the two cup structures being secured by a weld at the circumferential joint.

11'. In a disk harrow as claimed in claim 4, a scraper supporting arm secured to the frame, a first scraper blade connected to the arm and positioned to scrape the periphery of one of the wheels, a second scraper blade having a convex edge positioned to scrape the concave side of an adjacent disk.

12. In a disk harrow the combination of a frame, an axle having a plurality of disks thereon, a wheel having a cylindrical periphery positioned between two adjacent disks, a scraper arm secured to the frame, a first blade thereon having a straight edge positioned to scrape the periphery of the wheel, the arm having a second blade having a convex edge positioned to scrape the concave side of an adjacent disk.

CHARLES OPOLO. 

